The association
« A good education is the source of all good in the world. »
Since it opened, Vidyalaya has been committed to helping immigrants integrate by offering essential French courses to renew a residence permit or obtain French nationality.
Our mission goes beyond administrative support: it includes helping children, teenagers and young adults who want to learn but are held back by family or geographic difficulties.
Located in the heart of Paris, near Gare du Nord, Vidyalaya is a meeting point for cultural and educational exchange. Most of our learners come from the Paris region, notably Seine-Saint-Denis.
Through an adapted and caring method, the association has already supported several hundred people.
President of the association — David Appadourai
Our impact
- +
- people supported since the start
- %
- DELF pass rate
- 10th
- arrondissement of Paris, near Gare du Nord
Inside our association
Our work
A few milestones of our commitment.
Setting up on rue de l'Aqueduc
In its early days, Vidyalaya set up at 13 rue de l'Aqueduc, in the heart of Paris's 10th arrondissement.
Website & launch
Creation of www.vidyalaya.fr and rollout of the association's digital tools.
A library of donated books
We recovered a stock of books from Bayard publishing, to enrich our lessons and resources.
Results & progress
A 90% DELF pass rate, and steady improvement in students' grades and — above all — their confidence.
Annual chess tournament
An annual chess tournament — a tradition that has become a community fixture.
Digital autonomy
Workshops on computers, smartphones and the internet, for administrative tasks (CAF, préfecture).
Computer refurbishing (upcycling)
Buying, repairing and refurbishing iMacs with Linux — durable, affordable equipment for our classrooms.
Pronunciation workshop
A workshop dedicated to French pronunciation, to build fluency and confidence when speaking.
Video game & intro to coding
Building a video game with the children, themed around One Piece — a playful gateway into programming.
DELF paper generator
Creation of a DELF paper generator, producing complete, varied practice exams on demand.
Welcoming & training interns
We welcome interns from our community or facing barriers to employment — training them and opening professional opportunities.
Social media & outreach
Building our presence on social media, led by our interns, to reach a wider audience.
Driving theory (Code de la route)
Full translation of the course materials for non-French speakers, toward socio-professional integration.
CAFDA partnership
DELF preparation offered to refugee women in emergency situations.
ULIS partnership — Cité scolaire Claude Bernard
Support for specific educational needs, recognized by educational authorities.
Moving to rue Demarquay
The association moved a few hundred metres away, to 16 rue Demarquay, to welcome more learners.
New sessions — École Démocratique
Opening new sessions with Yazid, at the École Démocratique, to extend our reach.
Launch of Vidyalaya.io
Launch of Vidyalaya.io, an app to revise French anywhere — even on the metro — designed for our learners who work.
Launch of Vidyia
Launch of Vidyia, an intelligent tutor giving children personalized help, even when they are not at school.
Our partners
- CAFDA
- Cité scolaire Claude Bernard (ULIS)
- ACTE
- AZIMUT
- École Démocratique
Transparency
In a spirit of transparency, our annual activity reports are freely available to read and download by everyone.